How to Prune Bougainvillea - [ Grow Healthy in 2022 ]

Bougainvillea looks gorgeous when it is grown to its perfect shape with healthy leaves and pretty colorful flowers. Plants are similar to your child; they need affection, attention, and care to grow. Bougainvillea hunts for proper sunlight, adequate water supply, and good airflow for thriving growth.

Additionally, proper pruning is a plus point for the flourishing of your favorite beautiful Bougainvillea plant. You need to focus on suitable trimming and cutting strategies and follow all the precautions mentioned here during the trimming procedures of the plant. You would get final results in the form of a healthy, bushier, more ornamental, and elegant Bougainvillea plant.

How to Prune Bougainvillea

Pruning is an essential step in achieving a plant's robust growth. Here are the tips and tricks to correctly prune your Bougainvillea plant to make it more blooming and blossoming.

Selecting The Right Time

The last week of February is the best time to trim your Bougainvillea. Pruning at the start of Spring helps in the considerable growth of flowers in full Spring and Summer. Likewise, you can trim during any month of the year but make sure to focus on only dead or ruined parts of the plant instead of the whole plant or pinching of flowers. Keep in mind to prune your Bougainvillea after every significant rotation of flowering. This also enhances the growth of more flowers on every branch.

Pruning Techniques

1. Cutting Of Large Branches

Check for the extra-large growth of branches which blocks the air from reaching other parts of the plants. Always focus on the shape of your Bougainvillea plant. If you are unsatisfied or the plant grows in random weird directions, you can train it through pruning to extend vertically upward.

Similarly, you can make desired shapes of your plant as per your requirement. Cut off the unnecessary extra gigantic branches that come in between proper air passage of the plant. Cutting rough growth will enhance airflow, hence resulting in better growth of plants.

2. Cutting of Decayed/Dead Parts of Plant

Make sure to keep in check the color of leaves of your Bougainvillea. You need severe pruning if you notice any unexpected color change, decay, or disease in your plant. It would be best if you use gardening tools for proper cutting. Otherwise, make sure to use sharp scissors to cut them.

Cut the whole diseased part of the plant to ensure no defected part is attached to your healthy Bougainvillea. Otherwise, the disease would spread to other parts of the plant. You can make larger cuts if you notice a significant portion is affected.

3. Pruning In Early Stage

Pruning of plants in the early stages is essential for the maximum growth of the plant. When your plant is in its early stages, and you cut off the branch, there will be multiple growths of branches from that part, which results in producing numerous flowers on every branch. This type of Pruning helps in making your Bougainvillea healthy and bushier. It will look more attractive and will enhance blooming.

4. Pinch Pruning

Always perform pinch pruning side by side to the primary pruning method. When you see the flower has started to fade, pinch it and remove it from the plant. This will result in new branch formation from that area, and your Bougainvillea will progress.

Importance of Pruning

1. Pruning is of high importance when you want your plant to grow at its best.
2. Proper pruning helps in promoting good air passage.
3. Pinching enhances flower production. You can have multiple flowers on a single branch after proper pinching.
4. Cutting off the decayed and diseased part of the plant protects the other parts of the plant.
5. Pruning at the right time reinforces the plant to grow stronger and healthier.

Precautions To Be Taken While Pruning Your Bougainvillea Plant

• Make sure to wear hand gloves while pruning the Bougainvillea plant as it contains thorns on its stem.
• Use proper gardening tools or sharp scissors to make perfect cuts.
• Permanently remove diseased parts of plants away from the healthy plants.
• Always clean and sterilize your tools and gardening scissor after cutting the diseased part to confirm it does not transmit any germs and bacteria to other healthy components.
• Do not cut the entire plant, instead focus on the proper trimming procedure at appropriate timings.
• Never prune your Bougainvillea plant in winters. It would create more destruction instead of being beneficial.

FAQs

Conclusion

Select the right time to get the best outcomes of pruning. Make sure to read all the precautions you need to take while cutting off the plant. Pruning enhances growth; it makes your plant grow healthier and thicker when it is done in the early stages of life. Focus on when you need pruning, when there is a need for only pinching, and what is the right time to intricate the entire cutting of your plant. Never allow your plant to live with decayed or diseased parts. Otherwise, the disease will spread to the whole plant. Read and understand the above-mentioned information to get detailed knowledge about pruning and getting the best outcomes in the form of the healthy Bougainvillea plant.